Phnom penh: Ahead of the first anniversary of the Thai military's armed aggression against Cambodia, Minister of Information H.E. Neth Pheaktra has recalled the events marking the start of the conflict. On his social media networks, the Minister stated that on July 24, 2025, after a series of provocations and repeated hostile acts, the Thai military launched an armed attack on Cambodian territory, targeting Cambodian forces who were defending the Kingdom's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and internationally recognized borders. The attack commenced in the Tamone Thom Temple area of Oddar Meanchey province before spreading along the Cambodia-Thailand border.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, H.E. Neth Pheaktra emphasized that this aggression was not an isolated incident. Nearly two months earlier, on May 28, 2025, Thai troops had entered an area where Cambodian forces were stationed, resulting in the fatal shooting of a Cambodian soldier, Sergeant Suon Roan. The Minister explained that these incidents demonstrated a pattern of repeated provocations and violations of Cambodia's sovereignty, which eventually culminated in the large-scale attack on July 24, 2025.

H.E. Neth Pheaktra remarked that July 24, 2025, should be remembered as a day of sacrifice by Cambodia's armed forces, border police, national defense forces, and citizens, while maintaining the historical truth against any distortion. He reiterated that Cambodia did not initiate the war but has every legitimate right to defend its territory, people, and sovereignty against any external aggression.

The Minister also shared images highlighting the damage to hospitals, schools, pagodas, and other civilian facilities, describing these as painful evidence of indiscriminate attacks by the Thai military on Cambodian territory. He recounted that during the armed aggression from July 24 to 27, 2025, Thai forces employed heavy weapons and fighter aircraft to bomb various locations within Cambodia, disregarding whether the targets were civilian sites, residential communities, or healthcare facilities.

According to H.E. Neth Pheaktra, the attacks on religious sites and civilian areas were not accidental but reflected the indiscriminate, brutal, and dangerous nature of the Thai military's use of force against Cambodia. He portrayed the destruction as a lasting scar in Cambodia's history and evidence of aggressive intent, violations of sovereignty, and disregard for international law by the Thai military.

"The shells may destroy hospitals, schools, and pagodas, but they cannot destroy the truth, our memory, or Cambodia's determination to defend its sovereignty, peace, and the future of its people," the Minister stated. "Cambodia remembers. The Cambodian people remember. And history will record every act of aggression, every bomb dropped, and every act of destruction inflicted upon Cambodian territory."

In 2025, the Thai military launched two armed offensives against Cambodia's territorial integrity: the first from July 24 to 27 and the second from December 7 to 27.